US1591753A - Batting-practice cage - Google Patents

Description

BEST AVAILABLE COPY F. K. Fim/.WGH

BATTNG PRAQEICE CAGE Filed Febnl, i926, 2 sneets-sheet 1:

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Patented July 6, 1926.

BEST AVAILABLE COP\ Laar/53 PATENT oFFlcaf FREDERICK K. FLAUGH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BATTING-PRACTICE CAGE.

Application led February The present invention is concerned with the provision of a porta-ble batting practice cage for outdoor use, a primary object of the invention being to provide a cage which will greatly reduce the number of balls fouled into the. stands and lost during batting practice:

There are at present in use, a number of so called batting cages which serve no practical purpose, except as a back stop when there is no catcher. behind the batter. These relativelysmall cages serve to stop only such low fouls as are deiected directly rearwardly from the bat. In consequence, even with these cages in use, every major league ball club loses thousands of dollars worth of baseballs `in a season during the batting practice lperiod in addition to all of the balls which are necessarily lost` during the course of a game.

The cage of the present invention is adapted to greatlyreduce this Waste by proriding an apparatus which will catch a great majority of the balls which are fouled off the bat during batting practice regardless of the direction in which the balls may be struck.

A further object of the invention is to provide a batting cage of this character of simple, practicalconstruction, which will be rugged, .durable and efficient in use, which may be readily transported to and from its position on the field, and which may be folded or collapsed'so that it will occupy a relatively small amount of storage space.

. Further objects of the invention are to provide a batting practice cage so constructed that there is no danger of injuring a batter or catcher by foul balls which carom olf the frame Work of the cage, and a cage which may be manufactured with comparative economy.

With the above noted and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, aswill be more fully hereinafter set forth `and pointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully lunderstood 'from the following description in connection ,with the accompanyving drawings, wherein.-

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a batting practice cageembodying the presentl inven- -tion,y thevdotted lines indicating the position athene' plate, and. the base lines which' ma nected together by sleeves 17.

18, 1926. Serial No. 89,232.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing a cage folded and ready for transpoi-tation.

Fig. 4; is a fragmentary vertical` sectional view on the line H of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the hinge connections for the vertical frame posts of adjacent frame sections.

In the drawings I have used the'dotted lines to diagrammatic-.illy represent the home plate corner of a baseball diamond, numeral l being used to designate the position of home plate, and numerals 11 and l2 representing the general location of the first and third base lines. A batting cage embodying the present invention preferably includes a back stop section 13, and a pair of wing portions indicated generally by the reference characters 14. The plane of the back stop when the cage is in operative position, is transverse to the direction in which the balls are delivered from the pitchers box toward home plate. The back stop is disposed an appreciable distance behind the plate, providing ample room for a catcher to sta-nd behind the batter if desired. The wings 14 diverge from the back stop when the cage is in use, and preferably terminate approximately at the base lines l1 and 12 some twenty or thirty feet from home plate. The wings 14 are composed of a seris of frames l carrying heavy wire netting 16. Ordinarily two of the frames l5 will suffice, and the frames are preferably formed` of relatively light tubular frame members in the nature of piping. A

The adjacent vertical frame members l5a of the two frame sections are hingedly con- As seen in Fig. 5, the sleeves may include aligned apertured tongues 17zi pivotallyonnected by a pin li". Obviously various other types of hinge connections might be provided.

Similar hinges are used for connecting the rear frame sections to the back stop section 13. The back stop section is also covered with wire netting 18 at its upper portion. but preferably mounts a solid sheet of material 419 at its lower ortion. Inasmuch as the majority of balls w iich strike the cage at all, will Strike the lever halt of the back stop, the provision of relatively substantial sheet materiel yin the 'lower half of the back stop 'frainefserves to prolongthe life of the batting cage.

In order to render tbe'cagej-more substantial and less likelyY to tip over7 as well as to provide a convenient loungingsplacefor players who are await-ing theii` turn at bet,

I preferably connect n series of-arenatelioril' zontal frame bers 2G to the rear of the back stop section. These trarne members may be connected by any suitable series ouprights -l. The 'skeleton iiraine detined'by the 'inembers 2O andi serves the further' useful `purpose'oi -protecting one of the traction Wheels QQ'upon which the 'cage :is rolled to 'antl'froni its'position on the. field. Preferablj;T tlie'tlacf tion Wheel 22 is,the"steering wheel or' the dei'ice and has. its inde 23 mounted in a fork '24, thenp' er endlof y'the fork lfreely swivelling in n 's yeeve 215' carried by rigid horizontal erin 26' projectingrenrnrdly from the central yerti-cnl't'rar'ne menib r '21."

' dditionnl traction wheels 27 are -dl'so provided, these 'Wheels being mounted on axles 28 .projecting laterally from the "forward vertical frame member' or" the rear frame sections of' each Wing.

As a further sxfeguardag'ainst the cage accidentally' 'tipping' over, I may provide yground engagingbrecing means' at the free ends ot the outer 'wing sections 15. For the salte. of illustration I have shown pivot bracing ba'r's 30 .'forni'edwith ground 'engaging pointed endspSi.: The other ends of thearins 30 are piyoted' to Icollars 32'. on the forward vertical' frame members of' the forward 'win-g sections '15. To inoveth'e bracing armsv 3U .t0 inope 'zit-ive position itis merely necessary to swing them upwardly :about theirpivots and' cause their free endo to be, received and held by spring;` clips 33. i

The use ot' such long Wing .sections may result in sonic slight4 delay when one -batter is replaced by another in the event that the new batter '.isconipelled to nfa'll; around' the ends of the Wings in order to reach his position et the plate. To' overcome this dii'iicu'lty, I provide entrance openings in the rear ends of the .renr Wing Sections. these openings being preferably protected by inwardly and rearwardly projecting rigid freine portions covered with netting 36.

)briousljgf the structure as above described would serve to interception' fouls `going in any direction. 4In order to catch the high fouls, or the fouls which are 4directed upwardly from the bat, I utilize a net Li() prei` erabi'y'of solne sturdy netted fabric. The edges C the net are connected to the upper edge of thebicl; stop sections, and lto the upper edges or". the rear Wing sections. The slack orWsrd-edge of the net is (engaged .atits intermediate; portion with 'the'forivard endoi a, horizontsil erin 41 carried by an adguided for vertical adjustment in e hollow vertieelguide ln'ien'i-ber- 43 rigid with the back stop section. Rotation ot the standard in 'its'gnide is prevented by pin #te on the standard working in a slot 45 in the guide. The stern-dard 'nniy be' locked in any desired position oi vertical ndiusti'nent to tautly stretch the net iby. the use ot' a pin i6 projected through .alignedopenings 47 in the guide and standard.'

In Fig. 'l-.'Ihare shown the betting' cage eided for transportation purposes, so-that 'itin-aj; be \i"heeled to or from its position on the field. As seen in this figure, the outer Wing sections "l are folded inwardly Within the-inner-wii-ilgs sections. The free: ends oi the inner Wing; sections :rre then also-folded inwardlyuntil the' two'- traction Wheels 27 assume.- :ip: rexiinately a'jpairallel position.V

@ne of' thefreine members 20 may `theirfbe grasped andthe enge Wheeled about. 'The traction wlieel22 provides means for readily steering' the t'olldedveage.

Obviously n greet mztny changes and alter'ntion-s` might be nitide in the' general forniv 'and erinnere-nient of parts described Without dci'nii'ting' troni the invention. Hence I do not wish to liniit nyselfA tothe details set forth', but' sheli' consider-myself at liberty to Anfinie such changes amd alterationszts fairly yiwll within the spirit .and scope ot' the ap- -pendei-l' el'e'inis.

I claim:

l. A batting practice cage including a back stop sectionz adapted to be disposed a 'sufficient dista-nce behind heine plate on a baseball dia-mond to provide room for a catcher behind the plateT n pair of? divergin'g .win-gs pivoted to the sides ofthe birch stop section, the free endsofsaid wings adapted to be disposed' adjacent the base lines atpoints well removed from the home plate, said win-gs having openings-therein to permit the'entranceoft" n batter through the Wings.

3. A batting practice cage including a. back stop section adapted to be disposed a suiiici'ent distance vbehind home plate on a baseball diamond to provide room' for a 'catcher' behind' the plate`v a pair of diverging wings pivoted to the sides of the back stop sections, the free-ends of said Wings adapted to be 'disposed adjacent lthe baise lines at points well removed from the homel plate, said wingsy having' openings therein` to *per* mit the v'entrai-nce of ai batter through the wings, and invifardlyv directed screens preventing the passage of a ball through! the openings.

3. A batt-ing practice cage including a back- 'section' Iaxilsipted to be disposed' -a Sadie-tent" distance" behind "heine:l plteon e baseball diamond to provide rooin for a catcher behind the plate, a pair of diverging wings pivoted to the sides of the back stop section, the free endsof said wings adapted to be disposed adjacent the base lines at points well removed from the heine plate, and a flexible netting connected to the tops o-f the rear portions of the wings and to the top of the back stop section.

4. A batting practice cage including back stop section adapted to be disposed sufficient distance behind horne plate on baseball diamond to provide room for catcher behind the plate, a pair of diverging wings pivoted to the sides of the back stop section, the free ends of said wings adapted to be disposed adjacent the base lines at points well removed froin the hoine plate, a flexible netting connected to the tops of the rear portions of the wings and to the top of the back stop section, and a vertically adjustable element connected to the slack free edge of the net for tensioning the same.

5. A batting practice cage including` a back stopl section adapted to be disposed sufficient distance behind honie plate on a baseball diamond to provide rooin for a catcher behind the plate, a pair of diverging` wings pivoted to the sides of the back stop section, the free ends of said wings adapted to be disposed adjacent the base lines at points well removed from the honie plate, said wings including a plurality of folding sections, and traction ineans supported on certain of said wing sections.

6. A batting practice cage including a back stop section adapted to be disposed a sufficient distance behind home plate on a baseball diamond to provide rooni for a catcher behind the plate, a pair of diverging` wings pivoted to the sides of the back stop section, the free ends of said wings adapted to be disposed .adjacent the base lines at points well removed from the home plate, each of said wings including a pair of foldable sections, and traction wheels at the forward ends of the rear sections.

7. A batting practice cage including a back stop section adapted to be disposed a suflicient distance behind hoine plate on a baseball diamond to provide room for a catcher behind the plate, a pair of divergsesame SES? VMLABL CQY ing wings pivoted to the sides of the back stop section, the free ends of said wings adapted to be disposed adjacent the base lines at points well'reinoved from the hoine plate, a skeleton fraine projecting rearwardly from the back stop section, a ,swivelled traction wheel carried by said fraine, and traction Wheels carried by the wings.

8. A batting practice cage including a baclr stop section adapted to be disposed a sufficient distance behind heine plate on a baseball diamond to provide room for a catcher behind the plate, a pair of diverging wings pivoted to the sides of the back stop section, the free ends of said wings adapted to be disposed adjacent the base lines at points well removed from the home plate, a flexible netting connected to the tops of the rear portions of the wings and to the top of the back stop section, and a vertically adjustable element connected to the slack free edge of the net for tensioning the same, said eleinent including a horizontal arni projecting forwardly from a standard vertically adjustable in a guideway disposed behind the back stop section.

9. batting practice cage including a back stop and a pair of wings pivoted to the back stop, said wings being of sufficient length to reach the base lines at points well forwardly of home plate when the back stop is disposed behind the plate a suflicient distance to provide rooin for a catcher.

l0. A batting practice cage including a back stop and a pair of diverging wings piv oted thereto, said wings including a plurality of folding sections.

11. A batting practice cage including a back stop, a pair of diverging wings pivoted thereto, said wings including a plurality vof folding sections, and ground engaging bracing means carried by the free ends of the outer sections.

12. A batting practice cage including a back stop, and a pair of diveroing wings pivoted thereto, said wings including a plurality of folding sections, said back stop including a solid lower portion and a re-A cessed upper portion, said wing sections be# ing covered with heavy wire mesh.

FREDERICK K. FLAUGH.

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